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From: westling@cvl.UUCP (Mark Westling)
Newsgroups: net.bizarre
Subject: Re: bizarre place names
Message-ID: <798@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 23:57:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: cvl.798
Posted: Tue Sep  3 23:57:03 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Sep-85 08:34:36 EDT
References: <942@oddjob.UUCP> <142@graffiti.UUCP> <200@laidbak.UUCP> <955@oddjob.UUCP>
Reply-To: westling@cvl.UUCP (Mark Westling)
Organization: Computer Vision Lab, U. of Maryland, College Park
Lines: 22

>>> 
>>> Chicago comes from an Indian word meaning "cesspool".
>>> 
>>
>>According to "Trivial Pursuit, Genus II" (I know, a really authoritative
>>source) Chicago comes from "Garlic Field".
>
>Actually it's "Onion Field".  The near north side (just north of
>the Loop) was a swamp before the river was reversed.
>An indigenous plant (don't know what type) that was around
>before the buildings went up gave off a smell like onions.
>

The way I heard it, "Chicago" is an Indian word meaning "This place?  We
don't call it anything."


-- 
Mark Westling

ARPA: westling@cvl          CSNET: westling@cvl
UUCP: ...!{seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!cvl!westling